First outings

I had a very busy Saturday, starting with a much needed trip to the dump to dispose of stinky puppy trash, then a hike with Della and Kaiya, a birthday party at Patch with Elvis, and then finally the puppies first outdoor experience for about an hour before dark. Later we took Cooper into town for his first brewery experience, and really his first ever public outing.

The pups didn't know what to make of the great outdoors. The air was cold and we only had about an hour before it was dark. They were a bit overwhelmed by it and stuck close to mom and the shed, but they began to venture out and about. Jan and Paul came down on a moment's notice to help out. Having Holly present gave them a sense of security, but it also meant that they stuck close to her. Like anything new, it's a learning process but this was a good start.

Leaves and sticks were the toys of choice out there today.

If I called Holly away from the shed, the pups would follow, of course.

That's Charlie working the green carpet.

Camilla scampered around quite a bit. She and Yukon were the most adventurous.

Saturday evening we took Cooper to Decipher Brewing in Charlottesville. It was his first outing anywhere other than a hike a in the woods. I'd be nervous about that with most dogs of Cooper's size, but this guy hasn't shown us anything other than a friendly and rock-solid temperament and he did not disappoint.

You could tell by the look on his face (and his ears) that he was out of his element and not as confident as he is at home, but he was sweet and friendly to everyone and interested in everything around him. He met a dog (a very large yellow lab) and a lot of people and he was good with it all. 

I took along a jar of small treats and Cooper demonstrated his command of sit, down, and shake.

And he really enjoyed it all.

This is one of the best shepherds I've ever had as a foster.